#whenever i tag either of the oldies my posts

[legobatmanmovie]

new game out

[prettylightsbigcity]

WIP Wednesday

I had the best intentions of posting this before work today, but alas, I was running late and it simply did not happen. Big thanks to @takitalks @palimpsessed @whatevertheweather and @you-remind-me-of-the-babe for the tags today, and @confused-bi-queer and @excalisbury for the tags on Sunday! I appreciate you all sm & love seeing what your working on.

Today I bring you more of my ridiculous Mechanic AU:

***

Simon

I’m halfway under a Kia Sportage when I hear Shep’s cheerful banter getting closer to the garage door. When he’s at his desk in the shop’s tiny office, he’s almost always chatting away happily, either with a customer on the phone or one who’s come in to drop off or pick up their car. I don’t know how he manages to keep a conversation going with absolutely anyone who comes in off the street, but it’s part of his charm, and our customers seem to really like him. It’s become the comforting soundtrack to my happy place: the familiar lilt of his voice and his laughter floating under the office door and mixing with the oldies playing on the shitty little radio. But today, his voice is coming closer and closer, accompanied by a deep, melodious voice that I don’t recognize. The office door creaks on its hinges as Shep flings it open.

***

As usual, it's late bc I'm in PST, so I'm zero-pressure tagging back everyone who tagged me for Sunday, plus @tea-brigade @snowybank @mostlymaudlin and @stardustasincocaine for tonight or Sunday or whenever! <3

[entwinedmoon]

21 Questions

tagged by both @theiceandbones and @radiojamming (thank you!)

rules: answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you want to get to know better

1: Nickname?

Not really. My sister used to call me Little One because I’m the baby of the family, but that’s it.

2: Name?

Lauren

3: Zodiac?

I’m not really into zodiac stuff. All I know is I’m a Pisces. And in the Chinese zodiac I’m a Tiger.

4: Favourite musicians or groups?

So when I was growing up, my parents had a very strong opinion about modern music—they hated it, and they thought people who liked it were stupid. My siblings and I all internalized this, and for the longest time we refused to listen to any modern music, sticking to the parental-approved oldies and classic rock stations. And if we happened to hear a modern song that we liked, we felt horribly guilty and denied everything. Not until adulthood did I realize that this was absurd and started listening to more modern music, but I now have a weird gap in my musical knowledge, as if I’d spent a couple of decades in a coma. Growing up, my favs were Jefferson Airplane and Pink Floyd, and now I also like Hozier, Florence + the Machine, Barns Courtney, The Killers, Panic! at the Disco, and recently My Chemical Romance (I may have skipped the music of the 2000s when it happened, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it now!).

5: Favourite sports teams?

No

6: Other blogs?

Several years ago, I made a side blog called diggingthedead and I was going to use it to write mummy-related blog posts. And then I didn’t. I’ve left a trail of other abandoned blogs across the internet over the years, most of which are best forgotten.

7: Do I get asks?

A few. I’ve always been more of a lurker, going back to my livejournal days (I have severe social anxiety and don’t know how to human), so I don’t usually attract much attention, but since I can’t shut up about John Torrington and have to yell about him into the void every now and then, I’ve received more asks than I’m used to. But I enjoy getting asks. Feel free to ask whatever whenever!

8: How many blogs do you follow?

A lot

9: Tumblr crushes?

Sure

10: Lucky numbers?

3 and 19

11: What are you wearing now?

Jeans and a t-shirt

12: Dream vacation?

My dream vacation is simply not having to do work. Where I would go is less important, although if it has a museum with a mummy in it, that would be awesome.

13: Dream car?

I hate driving

14: Favourite food?

Buddha’s delight, a Chinese vegetarian dish. In America, it’s usually made of tofu and mixed vegetables in a soy sauce-based brown sauce.

15: Drink of choice?

Cheerwine! It’s a cherry-flavored soda from North Carolina. Delicious!

16: Instruments?

Not anymore. I played violin for a year when I was a kid, because we had to pick either strings or band in fifth grade and I wanted to do strings. I also tried to learn guitar as a teenager, but my hands were too small to do bar chords properly and I got fed up with it.

17: Languages?

I’m only fluent in English unfortunately. I took Spanish and German in high school, but I don’t remember a thing. If I’ve known you for all of five minutes, I will probably tell you that I took Latin in college. I loved Latin and I was good at it, but I’m pretty rusty at it now.

18: Celebrity crushes?

Sebastian Stan

19: Random fact?

I have a replica of a Viking sword, an Ulfberht. It is very sharp. Like, I-cut-off-part-of-my-toe-and-walked-around-with-a-limp-for-a-month sharp.

20: Favourite ecosystem?

Bogs, caves, and anywhere with lots of trees

21: Favourite cat species?

All cats are good cats

Bonus question: Feminist text everyone should read?

The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm by Anne Koedt

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

I’m not sure who to tag who hasn’t already been tagged, so if you see this and want to join in, consider yourself tagged!

[lovingalexlots]

Throw Back Thursday v.3

This throw back is “Halloween Night, Movie Night” My Halloween special for  2018!

__________________

Ao3 Link

Posting date: 10-31-18

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 1,232

Relationships: Destiel

Other Tags: Halloween, Scary Movies, Family Bonding, Fluff, loads of popcorn, Like, eight packets worth, family love, Domestic Bliss, Cas loves his little family, Peaceful

Summary:

Ever since they were kids, it's been the Winchester tradition to binge watch horrible scary movies on Halloween. Time to get the popcorn ready.

(Fic below cut)

When Cas enters the kitchen, he’s met with the strong smell of popcorn. Dean stands at the stove popping more while four bowls rest on the island behind them. Two are almost overflowing with kernels while the third one sits half full and the fourth one empty.

“That’s a lot of popcorn. Are you having another movie night?” he asks.

Dean chuckles, turning around to pour more kernels into the third bowl and start making even more. “Duh. It’s Halloween night! Watching crappy horror movies is a Winchester tradition!”

Cas takes a seat at the island and sneaks a kernel into his mouth before asking, “Which horror movies did you choose? I admit that I haven’t seen one before.”

Dean turns to him in shock. “What!? Not even Friday the Thirteenth, or Nightmare on Elm Street, or even Texas Chainsaw? Children of the Candy Corn?” Cas shakes his head and Dean continues listing off movies to see if Cas knows them. “The Saw franchise? Chucky? Jeepers Creepers? Nothing? Not even the shitty ones like My Bloody Valentine or that one House of Wax movie? Or an oldy like the first Exorcist?”

“None.”

Dean puts a hand to his chest in mock hurt. “That pains me, buddy. It really does. This is the Star Wars debacle all over again!” He pours kernels into the last bowl and starts up the final batch of popcorn.

“We planned to binge some Rob Zombie movies, but this is just a crime! Which ones do you think we should watch first? No, nevermind, stupid question, you wouldn’t know the answer.” At this point Dean is just rambling on about the benefits each one would have if they’re watched first. It’s nice to see Dean so excited, to babble on about things he enjoys. Cas makes sure to soak up every moment.

Dean finishes the popcorn by pouring liquid butter all over the four bowls and hands Cas two of them to carry. “It all comes down to either the Nightmare on Elm Street or the Chucky franchises. I guess we can start with Chucky since it has less movies than Elm Street. Only by one since a new Chucky came out last year, but close enough.”

Sam and Jack are waiting for them when they get to the lounge room that Dean affectionately calls The Dean Cave (he’s the only one that calls it that, but Cas will admit that he calls it that too whenever it just the two of them) and they pass out bowls so that they each have their own.

Everyone gets situated while Dean gets the movies set up. “I’ve made the executive decision, --as the one in charge of movie night-- that we’ll be watching the Chucky movies instead of Rob Zombie.”

Sam lets out a disappointed groan. “But Dean, House of 1000 Corpses! You love that one! It has that one guy from that show you like. Dwane or something,” He argues.

“A. His name is Dwight and he’s the assistant to regional manager at Dunder Mifflin. And two, keep complaining and we’ll watch IT.” Sam turns pale at just the mention of the spooky clown movie.

“I don’t think that’s how you say--” Jack starts, but Cas motions for him to let it go. Dean is always correcting Cas when he gets a saying wrong, but he’s learned it’s best not to correct Dean when he does the same thing.

“Cas has never seen them, so we’re watching them. Period. End of story.”

Sam mumbles something under his breath as he plops into one of the recliners. Something along the lines of “should keep it that way” and “would be doing him a favor” but Cas can’t be sure.

Jack follows Sam’s lead and curls up in the other recliner, already shoveling handfuls of popcorn into his mouth. Cas sits on the side of the couch closest to Jack. When Dean is done setting up, he joins Cas on the couch, sitting on the end closest to Sam. Since it’s such a small couch, this still only leaves a few inches between them.

They sit in silence while the movie plays. That is, until the man, Chucky, performs the spell to link himself to the doll. Cas speaks up. “I know of a spell that has similar results, but requires much more preparation, a longer incantation, and many more ingredients, including the vertebrae of the Lepidodactylus listeri, an Australian lizard now considered extinct, and the taste buds of an adulterer that is over the age of fifty and was never caught. The whole tongue is usually needed.”

Sam slowly turns his head towards Cas, eyebrows raised in question. Dean turns to him and says, “shut up and just watch the movie,” but his words don’t match his face or gentle tone. Cas would almost say that it was a fond expression, but that was doubtful. Cas keeps his rambling to himself either way.

…

There’s only a ten minutes left of the first movie when Jack says he’s run out of popcorn. Cas lets him have his bowl that he’s barely touched and Dean moves his own bowl closer to Cas so that they can share.

…

Half way through Child’s Play 3, Jack gets up and takes Sam’s bowl, which was balanced precariously on the arm of the recliner while Sam himself is fast asleep. Even with the chair open and fully reclined, the man still barely fits in it when he’s all sprawled out like he is.

His lips tug up into a small smile. Not because of how ridiculous Sam looks, but because of the soft look Dean gives his little brother.

…

They finish up The Bride of Chucky and Cas finds it to be his favorite so far. He doesn’t know why, though, and just brushes it off.

…

The Seed of Chucky is just starting when Cas hears a slight snore. He thinks it’s Sam at first, but it sounds too close. When he looks over, he finds Dean passed out next to him. One arm cradles his head on the armrest and the other one lays limp between them.

Cas hesitates for a moment before reaching over the last few inches to link his fingers with Dean’s.

Cas glances over at Jack, who has a handful of popcorn frozen halfway to his mouth, his attention so rapt to the movie he forgot what he was doing. Cas gets it. He most likely relates to the Glen/Glenda doll character. Which is understandable. The similarities are hard to miss.

A feeling of right, of belonging and contentedness and adoration blooms inside of Cas.

This is his family.

And he loves them with every part of his being.

…

When the movie ends, he tells Jack that if he wants to watch the last two, he’ll have to do it in his own room. To let the brothers rest. They definitely deserve it.

Jack takes the last of the popcorn with him and Cas has to hold back a chuckle. The kid really likes the buttery treat.

Once he’s gone, Cas situates Dean to a more comfortable position on the couch and grabs a blanket for each brother, placing one over Sam and then one over Dean. He runs a gentle hand through Dean’s hair, taking in his peaceful expression.

Yes, they deserve this peace...

And so much more.

[lire-casander]

4, 19, 32, 41

4. Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms?

For a while, I regretted getting into the American Idol Season 7 RPF, after a particularlynasty backlash I got from posting a drabble. The story was well tagged, and it was dark (the darkest I’ve ever written); I was told I was sick and one of my closest friends in said fandom literally told me I needed help. I stopped writing after that.

19. Is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

For the RNM, for as much as I want to get behid it, I don’t seem to find appeal in either Maria/Rosa, the newest Kyle/Michael, or even Michael/Maria. I know they’re kinda popular somehow, but I just can’t. Others? Maybe, I’ve found myself warming up to Kylex for example, and I’d read almost anything in this fandom by now, but some pairings aren’t just my thing.

32. Do you listen to music when you write or does music inspire you? If so, which band or genre of music does it for you?

I listen to music because it helps me focus. My taste is as ecclectic as I am - I listen from David Cook to Hanson, all the way through Goo Goo Dolls, Machbox Twenty, Lewis Capaldi, Jesse McCartney or Backstreet Boys. Also, Daughtry, Bon Jovi, Westlife… And tons of Spanish music. I love oldies and rock&roll and pop so much.

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

My, isn’t that difficult. I’ll go with 5 WiPs I’m currently following, but keep in mind I read almost everything in the fandom, so if you don’t see your story here, it doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, it means I could only choose 5!

Through The Violet Glass by @tasyfa ~ one of the best canon divergence fics I’ve read. Tas has a way with words that I envy! A must read if you haven’t started it already! She touches some issues that are hard to read but it’s so worth it. Believe me, you’re missing out.

Chain reaction but you’re holding the fuse by @jocarthage ~ Alex comes back to Roswell to find out Michael isn’t being taken care of the way he deserves. Now, really, if you’ve read anything by this author before, you’ll know we’re talking about poetry in motion here.

You can fight the hurricane by @queersirius ~ Pacifi Rim AU. ‘Nuff said. I love this AU mainly because I love the movie, and this fic delivers everything you want out of it: we have flirting, mysteries, love, bonding, secrets… Roswell but against Kaijus.

Bowl Of Stars by @islndgurl777 ~ what is more interesting than a fix it fic well written? A fic from Rosa’s POV that tells us the storyline in season 1 from the eyes of the dead girl. She’s so amazingly talented, you can feel everything Rosa’s feeling and you can see the other characters’ actions through her, giving us all a new insight and a new level of pain that I welcome so much.

The Cost of Greatness by @bestillmyslashyheart and @partsofthesamecosmicbeing ~ Michael is dating Maria. Alex is still there for him whenever Michael needs Alex. The ongoing saga that started on tumblr is now on AO3 (my preferred site for reading if I’m being honest) and it’s as great as ever. They are two of my fave writers in fandom, and they write this amazing story about feelings and trust that you all should read.

[sleepynegress]

Hi! I've seen your posts about Shuri and Bucky and I wanted to ask if you have the time if you could explain why a lot of people are not into it and why you think it's actually okay and would be cute? I haven't really gotten into the "discourse", I had only ever seen posts calling it wrong or disgusting and stuff like that and I would simply like to understand and consider somebody else's point of view, especially because you often post your thoughts about things and (pt1)

Aww, thank you. :) I’ve actually been going back and forth about whether I wanted to put down my full thoughts on it, because I like having an open mailbox.

…But ahh, what the hell.

I’ll say that when I saw that extra scene at the end of Black Panther, my eyebrows went up, I smiled and cleaned my shipper goggles and thought, “Hey, those two might be cute in a few years”. Then, I came home and checked the tag expecting some mad fangirls and foolishness and sure enough…

The thing is, this song and dance is an oldie, but not goodie.

Whenever there is even a hint of shippiness between a black girl and a popularly shipped white dude, concern trolling/virtue signaling nonsense comes up in abundance for why that’s just super-wrong and terrible and better off for the well-being and integrity of these characters for people to not imagine them together romantically and have fun creating fanwork for that.  Because it’ll lead to moral decay or some such hyperbolic nonsense. 

In actuality it’s just super-patronizing, clumsily veiled, bigotry. White fangirls who have the wildest incest and thousand year old supernatural man/teenager ships are squicked and threatened by even imagined relationships that don’t completely center on their all-white status quo.  They are doing their damnedest to convince others and probably even themselves that the vein is throbbing in their foreheads out of genuine concern for the black girl half of the ship.

The top three greatest hits that I’ve seen on that front have been:

she’s being taken advantage of and that’s gross because power dynamic is unequal and therefore it’s “rape(!)” because he’s a teacher and she’s a student (Spock/Uhura) 

she’s become a damsel in distress who the hero saves all the time and has no character traits apart from being his girlfriend (Iris/Flash)

she’d be having an affair with a married man and she would never do that, she’s better than that(!) because that’s immoral and she’s not (Abbie/Ichabod)

Now, for Bucky and Shuri it’s supposedly about protecting a nineteen year old black “child” (as of IW) from pedophilia.  …Yeah, right. These people even went so far as to harass the white actor half because he either ships it himself and/or likes to flirt and joke like quite a few actors do with co-stars they like or are friends with in interviews about having a thing between his character and hers. Make no mistake, the true goal was to shame him, to make him feel bad for doing that for the lowly black girl and not for their ships.I used to be a theater kid. I remember a grown-ass 40+ married man playing against my 18 year old friend as husband and wife in a production.  They flirted all the damn time, even when the wife came for the show she called her the second much younger production wife.  NOBODY thought this was gross or serious because we weren’t being serious. It was bonding among friends; among players and it helped with the chemistry.  If someone had come in talking about this guy was seriously taking advantage of my friend, we would have all backed away slowly from this person.Remember, when you were a kid and you’d claim certain aspects of pop culture stuff you like?  You’d see a cool car on a movie or TV show and say “That’s my car!” or see someone hot or cool and you’d say “That’s my boyfriend!”  That’s the spirit I get.  These people literally get to play pretend for a living, and they get to continue to play that game while actually being a part of production process. So, when folks make a huge deal out of this?  They are ones doing the thing they imagine the actors are doing. Taking it too far and thinking gross thoughts that those they were accusing of doing so, were not.With this, it’s been even more extra because Black Panther is literally the first black world with a massive budget that’s ever been embodied on screen and it’s a success, at that. Therefore there’s also lot of protective black fan helicoptering because of fear of white nonsense, and I get that but yeah… Sometimes it’s veers into stifling fan imaginings using respectability boundaries.  So, the convergence of the bigotry and helicoptering created a sigh-worthy, popcorn-ingesting fanwank clusterfuck over what should have been nothing, IMO.P.S./EDIT  Because I forgot the “why” part of the ship. Okay, so one character is literally a delicate ball of light, -fresh glowing positivity; a benevolent prodigy in wisdom/intelligence, curiousity, joyous humor, and freedom. The other is hardened, tainted and damaged, used (he thought beyond repair) for horrific acts of violence, and has been locked in a physical and mental prison of shadow for decades. The dynamics that are also wrapped up in that, -those ship tropes are doctor and patient, teacher and student, monster who only softens for his lady (similar to the movie canon dynamic for Nat/Bruce, but more interesting IMO), plus all of the forbidden and potential angst wrapped up in the class, age, culture/tradition, and racial gulf.   He’s found paradise and he’s not worthy of it.  She’s the only person who has seen and examined all of the horrific things he’s done in order to properly cure him and she still see’s the man and not the weapon, regardless.  She’s in intimate proximity while also being untouchable and he has good reasons to be bound to her. There are so many angles to this that hit on potential depth of connection while also having barriers up to crossing those lines.  …Which make for the basis of delicious slow-burn secret pining.  It’s all ripe for some amazing shippy fanwork.

[aspiestvmusings]

Hi,do you think scorpion was canceled just because of the ratings? Or was there something else we don’t know about?

Hi, 

You answer your question within your question. But let me get to the point after this long detour… (if you wish to read JUST the answer, scroll down to the very end… to get to the “answer”…)

Think about it. 

The show was moved into the Monday night comedy block…and yet it was originally supposed to be a drama with a comedy heart. It is also a “family show”, yet it was moved to the end of the Monday night line-up, airing at 10PM timeslot. The shows ratings and viewer numbers started to go down (as they do with almost every single network show as seasons go by)… And though we may never know what the Nielsen box owners think and what the regular/random tv viewers think about the show… we know that most online fans thought the shows writing suffered over the seasons, and that the hearty dramedy kinda fell into its own trap… choosing quantity over quality, choosing to go too far over the line. Becoming kinda ridiculous… even for a comic book superhero fun show. We know only what other vocal fans online think about the shows “progress” over the years. We do not know what most viewers think, but we know what many (online) fans do.  

Think about it. 

The official TV (spoiler) news & sites (and the network itself in their press releases) are referring to the shows lower-than-before ratings/viewer numbers and the fact that it just wasn’t working for them (on Monday nights…) and did not perform as well as they expected it to do. (writing an analysis on the possible reasons why that was so, and making suggestions what could have been done… by network, byt showrunners/writers to make it better… would take more time and energy than I choose to spend on this issue.) 

They did not choose alderman Sly’s tactic…and coming up with solutions that make everything better… (Sly is making West Altadenia better with his street-lights & anti-bullying programs). They chose to not give other options a try, and instead start from clean slate. Taking the risk with new shows -since key demo that they’re after is younger audience, who just weren’t engaging with the show - they essentially (to put it in very rough terms) chose to replace the oldies with fresh and young faces. The network is obviously trying to attract younger and newer audiences… and are using “new, fresh, “hip” shows as their tactical plan. Only time will tell is this works or not. (I’m not the type of customer, but who knows about the regular US viewer and their preferences… in mindless medium?) 

But obviously they did not care about the syndication deal/money enough to give it even a short 10-13 episode final season (remember: we’re at episode 94…or so…), so the show was only 6 or so episodes away from 100th episode,, and syndication deal. They also obviously did not want to move it to any other night either. It wasn’t working as part of the Monday night lineup, but they obviously couldn’t fit it into any other night either. In my personal opinion, which does not reflect anyone else, the show lost its way… it was still officially a drama, but it had become a comedy basically. And the kind that laughs at itself/its own jokes. It wasn’t the best of boths anymore, it was neither really… lately… not a comedy, not a drama, so harder to fit into any nights programme. 

NOW…IF I WOULD BE THE ONE MAKING THE RENEWAL/CANCELLATION DECISIONS…

If you’d ask me, I’d say that a show which has gotten lost…and so far off the tracks that it (its showrunners/writers) can’t find the original path anymore.. because they’re not even willing to… is (to quote Happy Quinn) not good. A show which has become so inconsistent, and which is trying to fit too much content into too little space (too many plotlines, and not enough time spent on any of them), is not on the favourites list… when making decisions what to keep and what to let go. A show which promotes itself as being about team of geniuses, who are a family and each others support system (THEM against the world), but which has such poor scientific quality… is not very believable. Even for a  show that’s supposed to be light and just-for-fun entertainment the content became “too silly”. 

Can’t relate to a genius, who is being (science) dumb. Can’t relate to a team of geniuses who instead of their initial goal to add new EQ layers to their IQ become unrecognizable and forgetting their hearts… whenever it’s needed for the plot. Can’t take seriously empathetic geniuses who have forgotten their own struggles, and who instead of adding EQ and becoming more empathetic towards each other/everyone just become meaner towards anyone different than them…and anyone, who is like them in the past. Can’t be interested in watching a show which promotes itself as one thing, but in it’s core is (read: has become) another thing :(  

ETA: This is sadly the fate of most network shows, cause networks & writers don’t know any other way to  “develop” these personal storylines. And over time quantity wins over quality - most shows suffer from trying to fit too many plots into the show & dropping old/ongoing plots when new “better” ideas come to mind and/or when they think something isn’t working (instead of finishing the “notworking” plot before moving to new one, it’s kinda left unfinished).Maybe the statistics are right, and this is what the average US TV-viewer wants. Maybe the supply meets the demand. Maybe I’m just having a hard time believing how not-smart oriented network tv is. 

A show that uses drama for only dramas sake. And not in the usual TV show style. But extra… A show that has it’s socially challenged characters bully each-other, and not get called out on it. A show that is so inconsistent, and so “aimless” that  it is unacceptable even if taking into account that it is a lighthearted fiction entertainment program on network TV. They all were past the level they were dragged back to… to empathize the IQ vs EQ main theme of the show. When there were other ways….. when it could’ve been done honouring their development. The back & fort became so inconsistent… it didn’t fit the low-EQ slow learning curve and 1 step forward/2 steps back style… it just became… weird.

If I was the person making decision I’d given the show another chance (but only if a deal with the showrunners was made that they’d up their game. And after everything I’d given then a short 13-episode final season (if there was no room for full season), and moved the show to a different night…. or maybe even to be aired during summer. But a final deal only if the show would present their plans for what’s next in detail, and there would be sure signs of improvement in quality of storytelling, and a clear path. 

But… I’m me, and I measure TV shows differently than networks do. I look for the quality of content, the writing and consistency. I do not care about adds, revenue, ratings, and viewer numbers. I’m a terrible business person. The networks are looking at different things than I do when making renewal/cancellation decisions. So their cancellation decision was reached by looking at other things… not the plotlines I consider the “deal breakers”

IMPORTANT: THIS IS ALL PURE SPECULATION THOUGH…

BECAUSE NEITHER I OR YOU (OR OTHER FANS HERE) WORK FOR CBS/THE SHOW. WHICH MEANS THAT WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE DETAILS AND REASONS BEHIND THE DECISIONS. IT’S A BUSINESS DECISION. 

…and to get back to your question….

Think about it. 

IF there would be something else (besides the lowering ratings/viewer numbers and the other reasons started in official press news) that we don’t know about then how am I supposed to answer your question if I (because you & I are part of the “we” aka “fandom” that you are referring to in your ask) don’t know about any other possible reasons behind the decision to not renew the show. So… it is impossible for me to answer as I can’t tell you something that I don’t know (about), can I?

PS. THIS, JUST LIKE MOST SPOILER/TV QUESTIONS I GET, HAS BEEN ALREADY ANSWERED IN MY PRIOR POSTS. SEE: HERE (post + tags) As I always say… IF and when I have anything to say/add/comment on any TV related stuff, I will make my own post, and the answers are always found in my posts. And it’s not that I don’t want to answer, it’s just that I don’t have anything to say. All I’ve had to say, I’ve already expressed on this blog. 

And we can speculate as much as we want, and we can ever have ”inside info” (know more than the official statements say), but… we still can’t say anything, and can’t say anything for sure… And as I originally said… I do expect there to be some rumours.. as there always are after fan-fave show cancellations, but I won’t take part in commenting on those. At least that’s my position right now. But yes, it seems to me (based on what is known… that) there was more to the decision than just the thing mentioned in the press release. Maybe I am wrong, and the studio/network made the decision purely based on the things they mentioned, but everything points to those other (not mentioned) things also playing a part. But… those are only “need to know” and we, the fans don’t need to know (read: are not supposed to know about those other things)

PS. I do plan to write one more post… regarding the show and the series/season 4 finale. But I need time to really sit down and write the thoughts down. But in short… after I re-watched the finale (back-to-back with the Pilot)…  I actually think this was a quite fitting book-end ending. Sure…not the happy ending most expect. But it was still kinda “coming a full circle” ending. From the Walt/Janice opening scene in Pilot to the Walt/Paige end scene in Finale. To the introduction and forming of the team.. to the “dismantling” of the team.

[gutsybitsies]

bakery au (oldie but a goodie)

Part 1

“He hates me,” Bitty moaned, flopping on his couch. Holster was raiding his kitchen, listening to his rant about Jack Zimmermann.

“I don’t even know what I did wrong! Maybe it was because I told him that he played a hard game last night the first time he came into the bakery? All he does is glare at me and say stuff like ‘Eric, the coffee is too sweet,’ or ‘Eric, you need more protein.’”

“Brah, maybe Zimmermann just has a total resting bitch face,” said Holster as he pulled out a leftover pie from Bitty’s fridge. “Guy seems fucking intense. At least he’s good for business.”

“He keeps on glaring at me! And he comes in, like, three times a week. Orders a coffee and just drinks it in his corner, ignores my attempts at conversation even though, mind you, he has already said some pretty rude stuff!”

“The guy’s a celebrity, he probably has his head so far in his ass and doesn’t care about shit, and also just wants some privacy. Bits, you haven’t been taking pictures of him and posting it on twitter have you?” Holster asked, alarmed.

Bitty gasped, “Adam Birkholtz! I would never!”

“Then just treat him like an antisocial customer, he can’t be the only one going to the bakery who doesn’t want conversation and just wants service and food,” Holster said, dropping down next to Bitty on the couch with two tins of pie.

“I know,” Bitty sighs. “He’s just...so handsome. And he was so nice to Nursey when that fool tripped. And he tips generously. And he’s just so gorgeous, even when he’s glaring at me and speaking in grunts whenever I ask him how his day has been. I just want him to like me!”

Holster navigated the TV to a rerun of Golden Girls and handed Bitty one of the pie tins. “I think that’s your problem. You’re an amazing person, Bits, but maybe you can be a bit too friendly for resting bitch face robozoid Zimmermann. Maybe stop asking him about his day and just let him chill.”

Bitty stayed silent for a while before turning to Holster. “You don’t think it’s because I look...you know.”

“What?” Holster asked, spraying pie over Bitty’s nice floor (it’s hardwood because he knew how his friends are like, and it’s so much easier cleaning liquor and other fluids off of hardwood floor).

“Gay,” Bitty whispered.

Holster considered that for a moment. “Nah, I don’t think so. Anyway, Ransom would’ve mentioned it.”

“You’re right,” Bitty said. “That just means it’s something personal with me.”

“Brah, you can’t make everyone like you, man,” Holster said.

“That’s easy to say from someone who hates everyone,” Bitty said.

“I don’t hate everyone, I’m just in a constant state of mild annoyance at a majority of the population. For example, you’re excluded from that demographic.”

“Thanks, I guess?”

Holster glanced at Bitty, shifting a little. Alarms started ringing in Bitty’s head.

“No. Holster. Bad boy. Stay there. No.”

“Too late!” Holster flung his empty tin away and tackled Bitty. “It’s time for bro cuddles!”

“Adam Birkholtz!”

“This is just to show how much I love you, brah!”

“I don’t want your friendship anymore!!”

Jack had a routine, usually governed by whatever calendar event Georgia’s assistant hands him and the rest of the team. Recently, his routine underwent a change the moment he first entered a small bakery around ten blocks away from where he lived. It had a homey atmosphere, but still managed to look adorable and modern. There were a few customers in line already, and a few more sitting down on cute tables and eating breakfast.

He had rushed out of bed that morning, upset about a phone call with his father the night before and hadn’t had any breakfast. Ransom had always said stuff about finding new places to eat at, so Jack figured he’d take a risk with the one shop that caught his eyes.

“Good morning! How’s your day been!” Before he knew it, Jack was at the front of the line and a handsome young man was beaming up at him. He had warm brown eyes and peeling skin on his nose, with a dash of pale, almost imperceptible freckles dusting his face.

“Um.” Jack replied.

“Well, what would you like today, mister?” The young man, Eric (and his name tag was also so fucking cute), asked.

“Coffee,” Jack spit out.

“Anything else with your coffee, sir?”

“Um,” Jack said again. His vocabulary was immensely impaired at the sight of Eric’s pearly whites.

“Very well sir, here’s your order number and it’ll be ready in a jiffy!”

Jack wondered if Eric recognized him, the other patrons certainly haven’t. They were either in a hurry or too tired and engrossed in their own business. Maybe Eric didn’t watch hockey? Jack knew that Poots would humble brag about being a hockey player to get dates, but he never felt comfortable about that sort of behavior.

“Number 45!” A clear voice called.

Jack turned and accepted his coffee from a tall, sleepy looking man. When he turned to leave, he heard another voice call out to him.

“It was a hard game last night, Mr. Zimmermann, but you played really well! We’re all rooting for you!” It was Eric, smiling and waving at him.

“Um.” Jack said. Think! Say something! Say anything! Do something!!!! “You should really wear sunscreen unless you want skin cancer.” What the fuck.

At the sight of Eric’s confused face, Jack hightailed out of the bakery and tried to push the whole embarrassing experience out of his head.

That was supposed to be the end of that. But Jack found himself standing at the entrance of the store a few days later. There were a few customers at the shop, but no one on line at the register. A familiar sleepy looking young man was manning it, and there were no signs of Eric.

Good, Jack thought. He just wants a cup of good coffee and maybe a croissant. No need to embarrass himself in front of a stranger.

He walked into the store, and browsed the pastry selection. Jack didn’t eat sweets often, or at all. But Nate said that today can be a cheat day, so he can have a slice of cake.

“Can I have a slice of key lime cake and a coffee, please?” He asked the man, Derek.

“Right on,” Derek replied. What happened next happened fast. One moment Derek was walking over to get a slice of cake out, and the next moment he’d tripped and smashed his face into the counter, fell on the floor, and was clutching his nose.

“What in tarnation is that noise?” From a door located behind the counter, Eric rushed out and gasped at the sight of Derek on the floor. “Nursey! Oh sweetheart, are you okay?”

A few of the other patrons walked over to see what was happening.

“Should I call an ambulance?” A kind looking old woman asked.

“No, no, I’m fine,” said Derek. “Think I just sprained my ankle and bruised my face.”

Eric felt Derek’s nose, the other man winced but stayed still.

“Good thing is that you don’t have a broken nose. I am so terribly sorry for this commotion, y’all!” Eric apologized to the customers. “We have this all under control. Derek, I’m going to call Chowder and have him pick you up, okay?”

“What? That’s bullshit, I can still work.”

“Honey, your ankle is the size of a tennis ball.”

“I can take him to the hospital,” Jack offered. Both Derek and Eric looked up at him in surprise. “I’m free this afternoon, I can drive him over. It’s partly my fault he’s injured, he tripped when he was getting my order.”

“You will do no such thing, mister. But I’m awfully touched that you offered.” Eric smiled at him, and Jack wondered if he himself needed a checkup at the hospital because his heart was acting strange. “No, I’m going to call someone and pick up this walking disaster-”

“Hey,” Derek complained.

“-this walking disaster, and he’ll be taken care of by his overprotective roommates. And unless you’re feeling miraculously fine later,” Eric said to Derek. “Take tomorrow off, too. Wait just one moment, Mr. Zimmermann!” He led Derek into the backroom and then popped back out. “What was your order again?”

Jack was back in the bakery two days later, this time a little down when he found out that Eric wasn’t in.

“Um, Eric’s not here today?” He asked Derek, who was moving with a slight limp.

“Nah, he’s visiting our flour suppliers. Gotta make that cake from something, y’know?”

“Oh.” Crestfallen, Jack took his coffee and cake and walked back to his apartment in a strange, morose mood.

The fourth time Jack was in the bakery was probably when he started mentally compartmentalizing the visits into his routine. Jack liked the way that Eric smiled at him and asked him about his day, even though Jack was usually too tongue tied to do anything but grunt “Mmhm” roughly and then turn tail to hide in a corner table of the place.

“Good morning! What would you like today?” Eric would ask him.

“Coffee and a ham and egg sandwich,” were Jack’s usual reply.

“Coffee and a Key Lime Cake,” were his responses when he was on a cheat day.

“Mmhm,” were used whenever Eric asked him how his day went.

Small throaty grunts were whenever Eric started talking about his own day and what he had planned for the bakery.

“Oh, sorry I must be always annoying you with this talk, it’s just me, I’m a natural born chatterbox!” Were variations of what Eric said, apologizing for talking too much, then proceeding to chatter on and on about the different types of apples and pears used in his pies.

The worst responses, however, were when Jack tried to say something witty and funny to Eric in response to whatever Eric said, and they would backfire so terribly and he would be so embarrassed he almost sprinted away from the bakery.

“You’ve never tried one of my pies before, you really should order one today!” Eric had told him one day.

“No thanks,” Jack said. Then, panicking at the fact that Eric was now looking directly at him instead of all those moments when Eric talked to him but was busy with making coffee and orders, he blurted out, “You need to eat more protein.”

“Excuse me?” For once, Eric seemed a bit offended at what Jack said.

“Um. It’s good for you.” Without another word, Jack grabbed his coffee and sandwich and dashed out the door. He didn’t know why his heart is beating so fast, maybe it was because of how he kept on embarrassing himself in front of Eric. He couldn’t help it. For some reason Jack was hyperaware of himself in front of Eric, afraid that whatever he said would be terrible, and whenever he said anything it became a self fulfilling prophecy of embarrassment.

The day of American Thanksgiving, Jack walked into the bakery after two weeks out on a roadie. He almost didn’t expect to see Eric, because he figured he’d be spending that holiday down in Georgia. But there Eric was, twiddling his fingers in an bakery unusually empty of customers.

“Good morning! How can I help you?” He smiled at Jack, and Jack knew it was a good idea to come here immediately after a roadie. Eric made him feel warm and stable, and like he’d come home. 

“Coffee and a ham and egg sandwich please,” Jack said. He waited for Eric’s usual barrage of words. Maybe he’ll tell him why the bakery was so empty, or why he wasn’t home for Thanksgiving.

The words didn’t come. Eric stayed quiet the whole time, except for a perfunctory “Enjoy your meal!” when he handed Jack his order.

Maybe it was an off day, Jack mused, as he tried to catch Eric from the corner of his eye.

But it wasn’t just one off day. Eric stopped asking him how his days went, and stopped rambling at him about how his own day went and what kind of new recipe he was looking at. Jack noticed that Eric was speaking like normal to the other regulars, but he himself only had the standard customer service “Good day!” and “Enjoy your meal!” He still smiled at Jack genuinely, but the rest was. Short. Did he catch on to how terrible Jack was being? Did Jack say something wrong?

Well.

Jack remembered all the things he had said to Eric.

“This is too sweet.” When he tried to chirp him about a sweet tooth.

“I only listen to John Mayer and that’s it. Who’s Beyoncé?" When he tried to say something about music.

“You shouldn’t ask a professional athlete to eat so many empty calories.” When he tried to joke about his cheat day.

Okay then.

He said a lot of things wrong.

It was okay, since Jack only went to Bitty’s Bites because Eric was a soothing presence and their coffee was amazing. Eric doesn’t need to be talking to Jack. Eric can talk to other people and Jack can listen in like a creep and think about how good he looks in that apron and bask in his presence indirectly.

Jack groaned and let his head fall against his steering wheel. He glanced at the coffee in his cup holder and the empty sandwich wrapper.

Pull yourself together.